The Bridal Conference
by Handsome Puppy
Summary: King Peacecraft holds a conference that decides who'd be Prince Miliardo's bride. Noin is hired to guard the candidates but finds herself getting involved. [Complete]
1. Bridal Conference: Chapter 1

  


Disclaimer:   
All Gundam Wing characters belong to Sotsu Agency Sunrise and Bandai. I do own this little fanfic though. 

Author's Note:   
I didn't plan to submit this story until my other story is complete, since this would spoil a lot of things for the other one (ie, some of the chars' background setting, which is the same for all my stories), but I just had an urge to get this one out because I've completed it for almost half a year now...^__^;;   
Anyway, this is an AU story, and only three of the Gundam boys are in here. The main pair of the story is, of course, Noin and Zechs, but other couples are present as well (not that obvious though).   
I don't know if having Noin disquised as a man is a commonly used route, but I remember one of my friends told me that her non-anime friend thought Noin was a guy... Er, I admit she does look handsome, but I like her the way she is :)   
Comments are well liked by me. Please tell me what you think of the story! Enjoy~! ^__^ 

Author's Note II:   
This story was first submitted to Aishiteru (www.yaoijanai.com) a few years ago, and it was the very first fanfic I've ever submitted. My Author's Note and story concept might seem old by now, but just bear with me please. :) 

~Handsome Puppy~ 

* * *

"Lucrezia dear, it's time to get up." A soft voice floated into an elegant room at the opening of the door, followed by a graceful lady entering the room with a warm smile. However, her smile froze as soon as she saw that both the bed and the room were empty, and the window was wide open. 

"Lucius! She is gone!" The lady fled to inform her husband, startled. 

"What?" A formidable looking man inquired, looking up from the newspaper. 

"She must had overheard us talking about her marriage arrangement last night." the lady frowned worriedly. "What do we do now?" 

"Calm down, Rosalina." The man went to his petit wife and wrapped his arms around her to comfort her. "She will be alright. It's not the first time she has ran out on us, you know." 

The presence and reassurance of her husband made the lady relaxed a bit. "Yes, I know. Should we spread out the words to retrieve her? The bride candidate conference is only a few days away, and she will miss it if we don't find her in time." 

"Nay." The master of the house waved his hand. "Even if we get her to the conference, she would just think of other ways to unimpress the judges. It's really too bad she can't have a chance at the Prince, but maybe we should give her some freedom this time, let her think a bit and explore the world by herself." 

"Well, if you say so." The lady smiled slightly. "Guess we'll just have to tell them our daughter won't be present at the conference." 

* * * * * * * * * 

"WHAT?! That's injustice!!" A shout could be heard from inside the President's office of the Pacific Enterprise, the fastest growing business cooperation in Europe. The person responsible for the almost deafening roar was Wufei Chang, head of the security department. 

"What's the matter, Wufei?" A man with long blond hair and ice blue eyes smiled at the irritated Chinese innocently. 

"You want ME to bodyguard a bunch of weak women?" Wufei was outrageous. "It's bad enough that my team has to put up with all the pretending and acting of these weaklings during the conference, now you're asking me to bodyguard them? I am a warrior, not a baby-sitter!" 

"You know those guys from the Romefeller Foundation will try to get to me through those weaklings, so I need you to protect them." The man remained calm despite the fact that he was dealing with a raging fire. "Oh, you'll also need to strengthen the network security system." 

Wufei glared at the president of the cooperation for a few moments. "How many women are going to be here for the conference?" 

"Five... No, four. Parents of one of the girls withdrew at the last minute." The blond handsome man flipped through the files in the folder. "See, that's one less weakling you'll have to watch over already." He doesn't think of women in term of weaklings, but when dealing with Wufei, it's better to use his terminology for best result. 

"...........fine. After all, you are an old friend, Zechs." Wufei reluctantly agreed. 

"Thanks, Wufei." Zechs smiled. 

Wufei fumed and slammed the door when he left the room. Everyone could see that he was in a very bad mood and stayed out of his way. He had only sat down in front of his desk when the door of his room burst open. He looked up at the intruder with a death glare, only to change it to a frown. "What happened to you, Pargen?" 

The elderly man addressed thus appeared as if he just went through a war zone. His grey hair was messed up, his dark brown suit was covered in dirt, and there were a few scratches and small wounds on his face and arms. His facial expression and the gleeful tone of his voice, however, did not reflect his physical condition. "You wouldn't believe what just happened, Wufei!" 

"I can't believe anything unless I know what it is first." The Chinese replied sarcastically, then his eyebrows creased. "Were you attacked?" 

"Yes. Four men grabbed me just as I stepped out the car in the parking lot." Pargen explained. "They pushed me to the ground and kicked me, but someone passing by saw us and came to my rescue. He quickly dispatched the attackers and escorted me to the front door. You should have seen him, Wufei! He was as good as you are in fighting!" 

"Is that so?" Wufei narrowed his eyes and thought for a moment. He went back to his chair and slumped into it. "If that's all you have to tell me, I have better things to do. As you can see, Zechs gave me loads of works to do to keep me busy." He snorted at the stacks of papers on his desk. 

"Well, did you not mention about needing help with the computer system? I found just the guy for the job." Pargen said. 

"You mean the guy that rescued you? Is he really gonna be of ANY help to me? I want someone who can defend the network against any kind of hacking and cracking, not just a regular programmer, you know." Wufei questioned. 

"I know, that's why I'm having him working out some system bug in my computer right now." 

"Hmm. Then let's see how he is doing." Wufei rose from his big chair and led the way to Pargen's office. 

As soon as he stepped into the room and saw the back of a dark-haired individual working on the computer, Wufei couldn't help but cried out. "Is 'he' the one you were talking about??" 

"Yeah. Is there something wrong?" The grey-haired elder asked with a quizzical look. 

"But she's a WOMAN!!" Wufei yelled. 

The figure in front of the computer stiffened at this and slowly turned to face them. She had short raven hair and sparkling deep blue eyes. Her skin was smooth and creamy, and she was almost as tall as Wufei. However, people would normally took her as a man, since she was disguised as one. But to a extremely sensitive person toward woman like Wufei, he spotted her right away. 

Pargen glanced out his office and was relieved to see no one in the vicinity to hear Wufei's cry. He closed the door behind them to prevent anyone from venturing in accidentally. "Are you sure, Wufei?" 

"I know a woman when I see one." Wufei snorted. 

"Guess I can't fool anyone with this disguise." The young woman sighed and walked up to them. "Sorry about the trouble I made, I'll just leave now." She turned to the old man. "I've fixed your computer; it should work fine now." 

She proceeded to leave the room, but Pargen called out. "Wait!" 

The woman stopped and turned with her hand still on the doorknob. "What is it?" 

"Please stay for a few more minutes." The old man said, then he dragged Wufei to the desk and showed him something on the computer. Wufei gritted his teeth at the display on the screen, a serious battle going on within his mind. 

"Who are you?" Wufei finally asked. 

"I am supposed to be Noin Eclair, a 27-year-old male without a job right now." she shrugged. "But since I failed to deceive you, I'll have to return to my original identity and go home." 

"You were looking for a job as a man?" Something flashed in Wufei's eyes. 

"Yeah." She nodded. "Look, I'm really sorry for trying to trick you like this..." 

Wufei interrupted before she could finish. "Would you like to work for me?" 

"Huh?" She blinked. 

"I am the head of the security team of the company, and I'm looking for some temporary help on computer network systems...." An idea came to his head suddenly. "And body guarding. Will you take the job?" 

"Huh? Er, of course!" she could hardly believe what she just heard. This must be her lucky day. 

"I am Wufei Chang." He held out his hand to welcome his partner. 

"Noin Eclair. It's such a pleasure." She shook hand with him. 

"I don't know what's your reason for covering up your identity, but as long as you can prove yourself capable and worthy, rest assured that nothing will be said to endanger it." 

"Thank you, Wufei." 

"Now, come with me to my office so I can assign you a quarter and tell you what you need to do. Thanks, Pargen. That was helpful." He led Noin out of the room. 

The many staff members of Pacific Enterprise all looked wide-eyed when Wufei gave Noin a tour of the building and introduced her to the head of each department. The male staff eyed Noin with envy because 'he' was tall and handsome. The female staff looked at Noin with dreamy eyes and their minds were filled with all sorts of fantasies, since 'he' appeared to be warmer and more friendly than the other good-looking men in the building, namely Zechs and Wufei. 

Since Zechs let him compose his own team, he did not need to report about any addition to his department. However, when Wufei had guided Noin through every department of the building, a thought suddenly crossed his mind. He decided to bring Noin to see the boss. 

The handsome young blond glanced up good-naturedly from his desk when the Chinese walked in. "Well, Wufei, that was fast. Have you already solved the bodyguard and network dilemma?" He was teasing, of course. He was not expecting an answer. 

"In fact, I have." Wufei said. His calm and quiet tone alarmed Zechs. 

"You have what?" He frowned. 

"I have solved the bodyguard and network dilemma." Wufei grinned menacingly. "The most incredibly flaw-less intra-network will be up and running within a couple hours, and I'll only have to take care of two weaklings instead of four." 

"Huh?" Zechs was dumbfounded, then he noticed the shadow on the ground, indicating that someone else was behind Wufei's 181cm frame. "Who is that?" 

"That person," Wufei smiled triumphantly. "Is the key to my accomplishing the mission." He stepped aside to reveal a rather embarrassed Noin. 

"New recruit?" Zechs asked while considering the person before him. 

"Yup. Meet Noin Eclair, my new partner." Wufei introduced. "And this person with features that would envy even the most beautiful princess is Zechs Merquise, President of the Pacific Enterprise. He is not your boss though, mind you. You're under my direct command." He addressed Noin. 

"Eclair? Isn't that the national surname of Luce?" Zechs inquired. 

"Good to meet you, Sir. Yes, I am from the Luce Kingdom." Noin saluted Zechs and received an approving glance from Wufei. 

Zechs nodded and grimaced at Wufei's laughing eyes toward him. He knew he must looked very funny when he heard what Wufei was able to accomplish in an hour. He sighed and picked up the four folders from his desk. "Since you've got that covered, take these files and study them before the conference." 

Wufei took the files about the bride candidates that would be present for the conference and left with Noin. When they were inside the elevator descending to their floor, Wufei opened the folders and glanced through them. He handed two to Noin. 

"Sylvia Noventa and Catherine Bloom?" Noin looked at the names. "Who do you have?" 

"Dorothy Catalonia and Sally Po." Wufei offered her a quick peek at the girls' pictures. 

"Why do I have a feeling that these two will be easier than mine?" Noin said dryly. 

"Because I am your boss, and I get to pick the stronger weaklings." Wufei said with his head held high. "Besides, they are all younger than you, so you should be able to handle them." 

"Oh, whatever." Noin rolled her eyes. "So who are they and what's the conference all about?" 

"You don't know?" Wufei looked at her with a cocked eyebrow. "The bride candidate conference is the talk of the city!" 

"Of course I know about that conference... Wait, you mean Zechs is the reason that this conference is held?" Noin frowned. "I thought that kind of custom only exists within royal families, why is he going through this?" 

"Well, it's supposed to be a secret, but with the news of the conference breaking out, I guess it's almost public now." Wufei pondered a bit. "These four girls are selected by Zechs' father, King Peacecraft, out of something like one hundred girls from all over the world. He then arranges this conference, where these four will attend and be evaluated in different categories. Zechs will marry the one with the highest score." 

"Wait a second." Noin tried to clear her head. "King Peacecraft is Zechs' father? So Zechs is actually Prince Miliardo Peacecraft?!" 

"Yeah." Wufei didn't notice the sudden paleness on her face and continued. "He wanted to start his own business so he used an alias. Zechs does not want to have his marriage planned out like this, but his father decides that since he is almost 28 years old, it's time for him to get married and prepare to reign the kingdom." 

Noin was quiet for the rest of the way back to her quartre. 'I thought I've escaped from a marriage arrangement by running away, but look where I've ended up? I am still a part of yet another marriage set-up conference, even though this time I am not actually a participant. I pity those girls. Hope I can get through this without any trouble.' She said a silent prayer before started working on the computer. 


	2. Bridal Conference: Chapter 2

  


Disclaimer:   
All Gundam Wing characters belong to Sotsu Agency Sunrise and Bandai. I do own this little fanfic though. 

* * *

On the day of the conference, Wufei led his team to the airport to pick up the four candidates. Sylvia Noventa, granddaughter of the head of the Nova Enterprise, was the first to come out from the jet. She had her hair done neatly with a red bow and wore a very fancy dress, and she had an arrogant look on her face. The second young woman was Catherine Bloom, the daughter of the founder of Crown Entertainment. She dressed normally and smiled at everyone. The third was Dorothy Catalonia, granddaughter of the leader of the Romefeller Foundation. As a rival to Pacific Enterprise, Duke Dermail of the Romefeller Foundation did not enter Dorothy as a candidate for Prince Miliardo. Her cousin Treize Khushrenada, a good friend of Zechs', did. She wore a simple dress and had her long blond hair cascading down her back freely. The last to come out was Sally Po, stepdaughter of a General. She dressed rather casually and did not smile. She was forced to enter the conference by her stepfather. 

Wufei glared at them with gritting teeth. He signalled Noin to follow him to greet the young women. "We are here to pick you up on behalf of Prince Miliardo." 

"Why, thank you." Dorothy was the first to spoke, the other three expressed their thank- yous accordingly. They were then escorted to the limo that awaited them. 

As soon as all four women and the two escorts, Wufei and Noin, had entered the limousine, the driver steered the limo toward the accommodation arranged for them. Wufei sat on the same side as Noin, not feeling like to get too close to the women. At least Noin was a 'man' and did not wear any make-up or perfume. The ladies introduced themselves to each other, and the two bodyguards did the same. Wufei was too disgusted to pay any close attention to them, but Noin noticed that Sylvia seemed to regard the other three as enemies and obstacles to her winning the position of Princess and future Queen of the kingdom. 

Sylvia remained silent most of the way, merely observing the others and trying to find any weak points. Dorothy was polite all the way. She had heard many wonderful tales about the Prince from her cousin Treize, but she had never seen the man in person so she was not going to judge yet. Catherine chatted freely as if she had known them for a long time, even though only Noin, Dorothy, and occasionally, Sally responded to her. Sally did not seem very pleased. Her eyebrows were locked with thoughts of escaping from the conference, but since she had never been to this part of the world, she'd be totally lost on her own. 

The limo arrived at the lodge with its occupants bearing different thoughts on their minds. Pargen was standing in front of the lodge to welcome them. "Welcome, young ladies. You will be staying here for the next week or so. Please make yourselves at home here and call me when you need anything." 

While waiters came to take the girls' luggage to their rooms, Pargen took them on a tour of the lodge. Noin took the opportunity and dragged Wufei aside. 

"I can just image the next ten days of my life. It's gonna be like living in Inferno." Wufei complained as soon as no one was within hearing range. 

"Well, at least you don't have to worry about Dorothy. Romefeller surely isn't going to harm her in any way." Noin commented. "Better keep an eye on Sally though." 

Wufei tossed her a questioning glance. Noin answered in a lower tone. "She doesn't look very happy about being here. I think she is forced to come and might want to break away if she can." She paused for a second before continuing. "Not that I don't sympathize her, but with the Romefeller people around, it'd be dangerous for her to be out there alone." 

"You do have a good point there." Wufei agreed. "I'll keep watch outside tonight. You stay inside the building." 

They confirmed the day's schedule before the group returned, then they stayed with their assigned wards faithfully for the rest of the day. Things were going smoothly until the evening meal. A certain elderly waiter kept messing up the drinks the ladies ordered during lunch, and he was doing it again during dinner. Dorothy and Sally took whatever drink he gave them without any word. Catherine noticed the error but said it was ok. Sylvia demanded that the drink she desired be served and that she would not tolerate mistakes from servants. That's when she broke out during dinner. 

"How many time do I have to tell you that I want Chateau, not Marnier!" Sylvia screamed at the old man. "If you can't even serve a upper class lady right, how can you serve His High- ness?" 

The old man trembled slightly and stammered. "Eh... I... I am sorry, ma'am." 

Sylvia was going to demonstrate her superiority further but Noin stepped between her and the old man. "That's enough, Miss Sylvia! You should show some respect for your elders." 

The young woman narrowed her eyes and snapped. "If you want to talk about showing respect, YOU should respect ME as your lady and stay out of my way! Servants are not to offend their superiors like this!" 

Sylvia tried to slap Noin but was parried in mid-air. She glared at Noin and proceeded to slap her with her other hand, but it was seized by someone else from behind. 

Wufei stood behind her with cold eyes and talked in a dangerous tone. "A man is not to be abused thus by a woman, especially when he is in the right and his actions just! Noin is too soft to you. I would not tolerate such injustice!" 

By this time, Sylvia was trembling like a scared bunny. She opened her mouth but was unable to say anything. The faithful Pargen came to the scene to resolve the tension. "Noin, why don't you take Wufei to his room? I will take care of things here." 

Wufei glanced at the old butler and allowed himself be taken away by Noin. By the time Noin closed the door of Wufei's room behind her, he was calming down. He sat cross-legged on the bed and motioned Noin to take the chair. "I have a different view of you now, Noin. You have a sense of justice." 

Since Pargen had instructed them to stay away for a while to calm down, they talked in Wufei's room for a good two hours before coming out to do their duty of guarding. They had more understanding of each other and became relatively close friends. 

* * * * * * * * * 

In the dead of the night, one of the rooms yielded a shadowy figure into the hallway. The figure stealthily crept through the darkness and proceeded toward the main entrance of the lodge. However, a sudden brightness illuminated the lobby and blinded the shadow. 

"Going somewhere, Miss Sally?" A low, soft voice said right behind her. 

Sally quickly turned around to see Noin. "I.. I couldn't sleep so I thought I would take a walk outside." 

"With a duffle bag?" Noin gave her a sarcastic look. "I know what you're thinking, but you can't just leave like this. It's dangerous." 

"I can take care of myself." Sally retorted. "If you know what I'm thinking, then you should know why I am doing this." She paused a moment and added bitterly. "Of course, you wouldn't understand how it feels to be forced into marriage." 

Noin fell silent for a brief second, then she spoke. "Actually, I know exactly how you feel. I've been there as well, but I ran away before it could go any further." She stepped aside. "I guess I don't have the right to stop you myself, but Wufei is outside. He won't let you pass." 

"It wouldn't hurt trying." Sally smiled and slipped pass Noin. "Thanks, Noin." 

Wufei saw the light and knew that Noin had caught Sally. What he did not expect was that Noin let her passed, so he was surprised to see her. "What are you doing here, woman?" 

"Wufei." Sally was not put off by the annoyed tone. "I was hoping to get out of here." 

He glared at her. "If you do that, I'll have to follow you around to ensure your safety. That would be trouble for both me and Noin." 

Sally sighed. "I knew you wouldn't let me off that easily." She sat down beside the standing man. "Let me enjoy one night of freedom out here at least." 

"Suit yourself." Wufei snorted. "What did you do to Noin? Why did he let you pass?" 

Sally glanced around before answering. "Because she's been in the same situation before and understands how disturbing it is." 

"You mean 'he'." Wufei stressed. 

"You know it's a 'she'." She looked up at him. "I am a doctor, and I know a woman when I see one. I only played along because everyone else seems to think of her as a man." 

Noin watched the two through a window and a small smile crept up her face. She settled herself on the couch in the lobby, mentally going over the schedule for the next day. 

* * * * * * * * * 

Wufei had returned the sleeping Sally back to her room at four a.m. At nine in the morning, a breakfast consisted of French toasts and milk tea was served. Sylvia was unusually quiet and polite at the table, not daring to speak too loud or make any objections with memory of the threat of Wufei the day before still fresh on her mind. Silently though, she was planning to get back at Wufei and Noin for humiliating her. She would get them after she became the bride of Prince Miliardo. 

The doorbell of the lodge rang when they had finished breakfast. Everyone went to the lobby to greet the quests, since they were two of the judges for the conference. The large door opened wide to introduce four people: Princess Relena and Hilde Peacecraft, and their escorts Heero Yuy and Duo Acrezia Eclair. 

"Princess Relena, Princess Hilde." Pargen and the security team bowed while the ladies curtseyed to the royal guests. 

"Please, formality is not needed here." Relena said. 

"Hey, Wufei! Haven't seen you in a while!" The braided 23-year-old called out with a grin on his handsome face. The three of them, Duo, Wufei, and Heero, had known each other since high school. They were close buddies. 

"That's because you decided to chase after the Princess, Duo." Wufei snorted, but his eyes were laughing. 

"Aw, you can't be jealous of my sweet and lovely girl." Duo teased, noticing the person standing beside the Chinese. "Noin!" His voice was filled with surprise. 

"You know Noin?" Wufei quickly spoke up. "HE is currently working with me as security." 

Duo picked up the hint. "Didn't you notice that we have the same last name? Obviously we are both from the Luce Kingdom. I knew him before I met you and Heero." 

Wufei nodded and did not say more about the subject. The Princesses were led to their rooms and the two escorts dutifully followed. It wasn't until two hours later that Wufei was able to get Duo and Noin somewhere where they could talk. 

"So what's between you?" Wufei started, with arms folded before his chest. 

"I told you, we are pals!" Duo exclaimed, glancing at Noin nervously. 

Wufei looked annoyed and Noin replied. "We are cousins." 

"Hm, that's the answer I'm looking for." Wufei glared at Duo. "Even a woman has more sense than you do." 

"Hey, how am I supposed to know that you know that much about Noin?" Duo pouted. 

"Wait a second." Wufei frowned at a sudden realization. "If you two are related, then that means Noin is royalty too?" 

Noin hit herself on the head inwardly and hesitantly nodded. "Well... yes. My real name is Lucrezia Noin Eclair." 

"Lucre..." Wufei repeated the name, then it hit him. "Then you are Princess of Luce!" 

"Yes, but I only take on that position when I am inside the Palace of Luce." Noin admitted. "Being the heir, I don't get to run away to other country to be with the love of my life, not that I have found mine." She cast a look at Duo. 

"Hey, I got your point! Don't look at me like that." Duo protested. "Anyway, my lips are sealed about this." He covered his mouth with his long braid. "So are Hilde's." 

The two glared at Duo, who looked back innocently. "I showed her the family portraits before, so she knows who you are. But she won't say anything unless I do so first." 

"What are you doing here anyway?" Duo ventured when the two had softened their glares. "Running away from another arrangement?" 

Noin nodded with slouched shoulders, then warned him. "Don't you dare go telling this to my parents." 

Duo held up his hands in the air. "I won't, as usual." 

"Good, now everything is settled." Wufei said. "Noin, what are you planning to do this afternoon? Pargen is giving us four hours of free time." 

"I'm going to the head office. There is something I need to talk to Zechs about." 

The Chinese nodded knowingly. "Ok, I'll see you tonight then." The three departed and went on their separate ways. 


	3. Bridal Conference: Chapter 3

  


Disclaimer:   
All Gundam Wing characters belong to Sotsu Agency Sunrise and Bandai. I do own this little fanfic though. 

* * *

President Zechs was looking at the stock reports when his secretary knocked on the door. Wanting a break from the tedious paper works, the tall blond man admitted the person whom the faithful secretary introduced. He put down the files and glanced at the dark-haired individual. 

"I need to talk to you, sir." Noin started the conversation. 

"About?" Zechs signalled her to have a seat, noticing the folder in her hand. 

"The happiness of a young lady." Noin presented the folder to him. "Sally Po." 

Not having read the candidate files before, he flipped through the files quickly. "What about her? You want her to win? She is not really my type, you know." 

"She isn't?" Her eyes suddenly lit up. "Then is it possible that Sally be excluded from the candidate list?" 

Zechs cocked an eyebrow. "So you don't want her to win. Is there something wrong with Sally?" 

"Wufei told me that you are forced to choose your wife through this bridal conference, but you don't really want to do this." Noin said. "Well, it's the same situation with Sally. Her father entered her for the conference, but she doesn't want to be forced into marriage." 

"Hm..." He was silent for a few seconds. "Why are you so concerned about her? Do you like her?" 

"Huh?" Noin was dumbfounded for a moment. "Eh, I like her as a friend, but that's not why I'm doing this. I had been in the same position, so I know what she has to go through. I'm sure you understand the bitter feeling, too." 

The Prince didn't reply immediately. He tapped his slender fingers on the desktop, considering her words. After what seemed like ages to Noin, the handsome 27-year-old finally spoke up. "Very well, I will talk to Sally Po about this personally." 

"Thank you!" Noin was visibly happy to hear that. She bowed and left the office. 

* * * * * * * * * 

The four women were asked to stay in their rooms for interviews in the afternoon. The identity and time of their interviewers were kept from them, so they had to prepare themselves for whatever surprises that might jump upon them. Sally settled herself comfortably on the bed, reading the afternoon away, not caring if the interviewer came or not. There was a knock on the door, then it opened to reveal a person in a large hooded-cape. 

Sally stared at the person for a moment. "I didn't know the interviewers need to disguise themselves." She put the book down. "Have a seat." 

The person removed the cape and sat down quietly. Sally tossed him a glance and was amazed by his good looks. With her arms folded before her chest, Sally spoke up. "Let's get this over with, shall we?" 

The handsome man with long, smooth blond hair nodded. "Sally Po, why are you here?" 

"Me?" She seemed amused by the question. "I am here because my father wants me to. Having been a soldier and serving royal families all his life, he wishes for more connections with the royalties. If I win the conference, which I do not wish to, he'll get what he wants." 

The interviewer smiled slightly at her frankness. "Looks like you do want to bail out from the conference. So Noin was right." 

"Noin?" Sally looked at the man intently. "What about him? Did he say something?" 

"He asked me to exclude you from the candidate list." The man replied. 

"Well?" She sat up straight. "Am I? I can make some insulting comments if that's required." 

He chuckled. "No, that won't be necessary. I'll just tell the judges to leave you out when they do the scorings." 

"Really? That's it? I'm free?" Sally couldn't believe her ears at first, then she frowned. "But do you have that much influence on the judges?" 

"Of course." The man smiled. "The judges are my sisters and mentor." 

"Heh?" Sally gazed at the man before her intently. "So you are... the Prince?" 

"You don't seem impressed." Prince Miliardo was still smiling. 

"Should I?" Sally cocked one eyebrow. "I am not a Prince-chasing girl, you know." 

"That's why it bothers you so much to be forced into this." 

"Exactly." She nodded. "What about you? Are you in this because of parental pressure as well? I know most royal children are." 

"Yeah." Miliardo sighed. "I am the heir of the kingdom and my wife will be the Queen, so it's important that the right woman be chosen. I don't really look at women and don't have a girlfriend, that's why my father decides to do it for me." 

"Is there no way for you to get out?" 

"Not really. Normal men are bound to marry someday in their lives, and I happen to fit in the category." 

"Oh yeah?" Sally's eyes lit up suddenly. "What if you are not a normal man?" 

"What do you mean?" The Prince looked at her quizzically. 

"Let's say you prefer guys over girls...?" Sally grinned menacingly. 

"That won't work." He shook his head. "The people around me are pretty much long- timers. If I am not normal, it would have shown a long time ago." 

"Hmm. Then you'll just have to stick to the winner of the conference." She sighed. 

Miliardo shrugged and stood up. He put his cape back on, ready to leave. "It was nice talking to you, Sally Po." 

"My pleasure, Your Highness." Sally smiled. 

The Prince closed the door and walked toward the entrance, prepared to leave the lodge. He was to be present at the conference two days later so there was no need for him to stay yet. Sally's words were still on his mind when the front door opened and two people rushed in, almost bumping into him. 

"Oops, I'm sorry." The first person apologized quickly before even looking up, his hair and clothing were all wet with water dripping down. The second person was no better. 

"Wufei? Noin?" The Prince called out in surprise when he recognized them. 

"Zechs?" The two were equally surprised. "What are you doing here?" 

"Later, you better dry yourselves first." Zechs pointed at the drenched pair. 

"Stay here, I'll go get some towels." Wufei addressed Noin before leaving for his room. 

Zechs looked at the raven-haired bodyguard standing there with 'his' face red from the running and the embarrassment, and the moisture made 'his' dark blue eyes even more glimmering. He stood staring at Noin with eyes wide, finding himself attracted to 'him'. 'Oh, Noin looks so beautiful and amazing like that...' 

Wufei returned and broke his reverie. The two guards dried themselves quickly before turning to the Prince. "So what brings you here?" Wufei asked. 

"I came here to talk to Miss Sally." Zechs replied and was glad to see the smile on Noin's face. He was going to say more but froze suddenly. "That's it!" He cried out. 

"What's it?" Wufei frowned at the strange reaction his friend was displaying. 

"Go get changed into something dry, I'll meet you at Miss Sally's room. Both of you." Zechs announced hastily and left, leaving Wufei and Noin dumbfounded. 

* * * * * * * * * 

"Why did you tell us to come here?" Wufei asked annoyedly, obviously not comfortable being in a woman's room. "This better be important." 

Sally was sitting cross-legged on the bed, Zechs was sitting in the chair, and the two guards were leaning against the wall. All eyes were set on the handsome Prince. 

"As you all know, I am thrusted into marrying someone I know close to nothing about by my father the King." Zechs started. "However, if it is known, at least to the candidates, that I am more interested in men than in women..." 

"You are pretending to be gay?" Wufei stared at him. "But everyone knows you're not." 

"That's because the 'man of my dream' hasn't showed up yet." 

"And now he has?" Wufei said sarcastically, then it hit him. "Wait, you don't mean..." 

"I mean just that." Zechs smiled charmingly. He walked toward the two standing guards and stood before Noin. "Noin, I need to ask you a big favour." 

Noin was all puzzled by their verbal exchanges at first, but even she realized what he meant by now. "Er... I don't think that's a good idea, Zechs." 

"You are the only one that can help me now, Noin. Please." Zechs begged, noticing how his heart pounded when he heard Noin said his name. 

"You'll be ruining a person's reputation, Zechs!" Wufei looked stern. 

Sally joined in. "Wufei is right. You should consider someone closer to you. It's not logical to have a crush this sudden." 

What's the matter? Why was everyone against his idea? Zechs' brows locked at their reactions. "If it's sudden, then I can say I misunderstood my feelings toward him and he will be clean." He turned to Noin again. "Please? You said yourself that you understand the bitter feelings of having your marriage planned out for you. Won't you help me, Noin?" 

After several minutes of silence, Noin said in a low voice. "How long will the favour last?" 

"Noin!" Wufei and Sally looked at her with great concern. 

"It's ok. It really bothers me to see someone in this kind of pain because I've experienced it too." Noin looked at her friends. She looked back at the Prince. "I'll agree to help you if you play by my rules." 

"That won't be a problem." Zechs was overjoyed. "What are your rules?" 

"We are only doing this to deceive the bride candidates, which means act only when they are present." She said. "Since you're trying to show your preference, it's going to be a one- sided thing. I am not initiating anything." Noin continued after Zechs agreed. "No hugging or kissing of any kind. You like my type, but I'm straight, and you're not in love, get that?" 

"It won't be easy deceiving the girls with all the rules." Zechs sighed. "Can I stay by you and hold your hand at least?" 

"...Ok." Noin agreed reluctantly. 

"Thank you." Zechs released his held breath. He glanced at the clock on the wall and cried. "I'll be late for my meeting! Sorry, but I have to go now." He said apologetically and left hurriedly. 

After the Prince departed, Sally, Noin, and Wufei relaxed. Sally let Noin sat on the bed and patted her hand. "Are you sure about this, Noin?" From what she had gathered for the past two days, if the Prince was to be attracted to someone other than the candidates, Sylvia would react very strongly against Noin. Who knew what she'd do? 

"You don't have to worry, I will protect Noin." Wufei stated. He was more concerned about her honour. She was, after all, a Princess, and it was man's job to defend a woman's honour and reputation. He would interfere if Zechs stepped out of bound. 

"Thank you." It was all Noin could say. She, too, wasn't sure what it'd lead to, but she knew she was surrounded by friends who cared about her. 

* * * * * * * * * 

Early next morning, the lodge was blessed by the arrival of the gracious Prince Miliardo Peacecraft. Hilde and Relena were surprised by his early visit, but were nevertheless happy to see him looking good. They knew he disliked the whole idea of the bridal conference. The four candidates were thrilled to see the Prince at last, but except for Sylvia, the other three were just content to finally learn what he looked like. According to the interviewers, only Sylvia wanted to enter the conference at her own will. 

Seeing that the Prince was tall, handsome, graceful and all, Sylvia was eager to impress him with her manners and 'air of nobleness'. Everyone cocked their eyebrows when they saw her talking politely and sweetly. The centre of all the commotions only took in all the reactions and smiled to himself inwardly. 

"I thought you are not coming until the day after." Duo commented first. 

"There is someone I'd like to get to know more about." The Prince answered with a tone that left most people in the room puzzled. 

"Wouldn't your appearance attracts the Romefeller people to strike, Zechs?" Wufei asked, pretending to be a dutiful guard that he was supposed to be. 

Zechs shook his head slightly. "I want to get this whole thing over with as soon as possible. If they are going to make a move, it wouldn't really matter when I come." 

"You didn't bring any guard." Heero pointed out quietly. 

Zechs laughed a little. "They are not going to try to touch me, not after countless failures in the past few months. Besides, if I really want a guard, I can just pick one from the security team." He stole a quick glance at the silent Noin. 

Wufei noticed his look. "Suit yourself, as long as you don't get in my and Noin's way." 


	4. Bridal Conference: Chapter 4

  


Disclaimer:   
All Gundam Wing characters belong to Sotsu Agency Sunrise and Bandai. I do own this little fanfic though. 

* * *

The tall blond man detected the warning in the Chinese's phrase. He smirked and pulled Noin to him. "I'm never in your way, Wufei. As for Noin.. You're ok with me here, aren't you?" The latter part of his sentence was directed to Noin, who was embarrassed by his sudden gesture. 

Everyone except those in the conspiracy was shocked by his action. Duo immediately stepped forward and snatched Noin away from Zechs. "You're already bothering him, Zechs." He winked at Noin, who returned him a grateful smile. 

The Prince pretended not to notice other people's reactions and shrugged. "I was just being friendly." 

"Why aren't you being friendly with me?" Duo said sarcastically. 

"I've known you for too long to have the kind of fun, Duo." Zechs joked. 

"Oh, whatever." Duo hugged the petit girl beside her. "At least I have Hilde to be friendly with." 

Pargen observed the situation and sighed to himself. He didn't know what came to Zechs, but he hoped everything would turn out alright. "Well, let's move on with our schedule for today then." The old butler announced. 

Throughout the day's activities, Zechs could always be found in the vicinity of Noin. Whenever he needed to tell her something, he would whisper it in her ear; whenever he needed someone to do something for him, he would call on Noin and patted her hand after she's done; whenever Noin emerged into his view, no matter what he was doing, he would let his gaze follow her. All these were done before the eyes of the candidates and Pargen of course, in order to convince them of his 'unusual preference'. 

However, whenever Zechs wrapped his arm around Noin's shoulder or tried to do more, or even flirt with her, he would always found his Chinese friend growling at him and interfering. He was surprised to see Wufei being this protective over someone, and this only provoked his interest and curiosity in Noin. Near the end of the day, Zechs was stunned at the feeling he had toward the dark-haired guard. At one point, he even felt angry when Wufei called Noin away from him and took 'him' aside to converse in a low tone. Surely it couldn't be jealousy...? 

The more Zechs learned about Noin, the more fascinated he was by her. He couldn't help it, but his attention would turn to her when she was nearby. Since he was bounded by her rules of conduct and could not really do anything to her, he approached her in another way and tried to please her with his witty comments and smart talks. His heart leapt at seeing her beautiful and unreserved smiles. 

While a transformation was slowly taking place in Zechs' heart, another heart was also getting trapped in confusing and tangled feelings. Noin did this to help Zechs get his freedom at first, but as the day passed by, she became more aware of his presence around her, his little gestures, his smiles, his everything. She was rather strict with him at the beginning and went by the rules she gave him, but she was starting to see an image of the radiant man called Zechs Merquise being imprinted on her heart. She tried to resist those feelings, but she was finding Zechs' company rather enjoyable. 

All these did not escape the observation of everyone in the lodge, as it was supposed to be staged thus. Some thought the Prince was just having some fun with the new guard, since he liked to make friends with people. Some were suspicious at his actions and attitudes toward Noin, but kept the doubts to themselves. Hilde, Duo, Heero, Dorothy and Pargen were of the latter type; Relena and Catherine were of the former type. Sylvia Noventa, on the other hand, took the situation in as Zechs had hoped people would, but with a twist. She realized that her biggest competitor was not any of the candidate girls, but the deep blue-eyed guard named Noin. 

After a day of busy timetable, a delicious dinner was served, and people were ready to retire for the night. It was then the faithful Pargen asked His Highness which room would he like for the duration of his stay at the lodge. 

"If it's possible, I'd like to stay in Noin's room." Zechs said casually, as if saying he would like to have a glass of water. 

"WHAT?!" was the immediate response from everyone. Wufei, Duo, and Hilde were especially opposed at the idea. Things were getting out of control, and the atmosphere was tense. 

"Hm." Noin started quietly after a long silence, every set of eyes were turned on her. "If His Highness so desires, he can take my room." Before anyone could utter a word, she held up her hand and continued. "Being a guard, I don't use my room very often anyway. If I really need a room, I can share with one of the guards." 

"Yeah, you can share with me!" Duo quickly offered. 

"Alright, then it's settled." Pargen wiped off the cold sweats on his forehead and announced, and everyone released their breath. 

"Well, we're taking the first shift, so I guess we better get going." Wufei said, signalling Noin to go outside with him. 

"Oh, wait!" Hilde suddenly called out and rushed into her room. She re-emerged thirty seconds later with two black hooded capes. "Take these, it's pouring outside." 

Those who knew recognized the capes as Duo's. He was always possessive over his stuff, but he did not make any objection when Hilde offered the garments. Heero narrowed his eyes but said nothing. 

"Thank you." Noin politely accepted the cape. 

"I don't need it." Wufei snorted. "I am not that weak." 

Before Hilde could say anything, a hand reached out to take the cape from her hand and thrusted it into Wufei's hands. Wufei was going to retort at this, but he was met with Sally's clear blue eyes when he looked up. 

"Wufei, please." Sally decided to play the 'weakling' for the moment. "If you get sick or catch a cold, who is going to protect us?" 

Wufei glared at the woman in front of him, then he reluctantly put on the cape while mumbling something under his breath. He walked out the building followed by Noin. 

"That was fine acting, Sally." Hilde giggled. 

The medical woman grinned. "He can't stand it if you play soft with him." 

The group dispersed and retired to their own rooms, each with a thought of their own. While the sensitive Heero was wondering about the relationship and connection between Duo and Noin, Zechs was having a hard time willing himself to sleep. He was a little annoyed that Noin would share a room with another guard, but she wouldn't share the room with him. It's not like he'd do anything to her. After all, they were both 'men', right? Then why was it that he was having these sensations and feelings he had never experienced before? He couldn't really be attracted to a man, could he? He was a normal man, like everyone else, right? He suddenly found that he was not certain of the answer. 

Outside in the pouring shower, Wufei commented to Noin. "You are too soft, and Zechs is taking advantage of your softness. I can't be around you all day to keep him away, so you have to stand up and protect yourself. Tonight was a close call. I can't believe he even requested to stay in your room!" He was still angry that a lady's honour was almost compromised. 

"It's ok, Wufei." Noin calmed the furious warrior down. "I think he got the message when I declined to share a room with him." 

"Now you don't even have a room thanks to him." He pointed out. 

"Oh, I can stay in Duo's room. We have different shifts so it won't be a problem." 

"Shouldn't you tell him of the conspiracy first? He may be suspicious, since he does use his brain occasionally." 

Noin nodded. "I'll tell him when we go back in." 

"Make sure he keeps his mouth shut after hearing it. Your sacrifices would be wasted if the candidates learn of the truth." Wufei warned. 

"Yeah." Noin agreed. 

The night passed by without any further incidents, though not very many people had a good night's sleep. Duo and Heero returned to the building at seven in the morning, and another team of security guards went out for the day shift. Duo took a short nap on the couch in the lobby before other people got up, since Noin was sleeping in his room. By nine-thirty, a wholesome breakfast was served, and everyone was ready for the day's activities. 

The fourth day of the conference had one of the most exciting event scheduled, a ball. A number of guests were invited for the occasion, including members of the Sanc Court. The candidates would be evaluated by their manners and how they interact with other court members and royalties. All ladies were required to wear a nightgown, while the men were to wear Victorian court coats. Everyone was busy preparing for the big event through the day. The ladies had maids helping them with their hair and make-ups, as well as adjustments to their dresses and other accessories. 

Other then the guests, the four bride candidates and, of course, the Prince and the two Princesses, were to attend the ball. Duo was invited because he was also royalty, being a Baron of the Luce Kingdom. Heero, Wufei, and Noin would have been able to skip the ball while keeping guard outside, but Prince Miliardo asked that they attend it too, and ordered the court coats be brought to them. Not at all willing, the three obeyed the order of the future King of Sanc. 

"Can I come in, Noin?" Duo asked after knocking on the door. 

"Yup, come on in." Noin answered from within. 

Duo opened the door and entered his room, only to find a handsome and charming Noin standing in front of the mirror in a dark blue coat. "Hey, you are almost as good looking as I am!" He smirked. "That sure beats wearing a gown." 

"I just hope no one recognizes me tonight." Noin frowned slightly. "Pargen said there will be some courtiers from Sanc here." 

"Don't worry, no one is going to suspect you. I look more like a girl with the braid." Duo winked. "Besides, you never appeared before anyone outside Luce formally, the Sanc people won't be able to notice the connection." 

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Noin smiled. 

"Hey, Noin, can you do me a favour?" Duo asked. 

"What is it?" 

"I am attending the ball as Baron Duo Acrezia Eclair, so I won't be able to stay with Hilde all the time. Can you keep her company while I do these boring but mandatory talk with the courtiers?" 

"Sure." Noin grinned. She knew Duo was possessive over Hilde, and he would not let any man near her without his consent. 

Another knock on the door revealed Wufei in the same coat as Noin's. "You guys ready? It's almost time." He was very troubled by the fact that by wearing the coat, he was obliged to dance with every lady present at the ball at least once. Him, the great warrior, dancing with all these weaklings? 

Duo tried to hold his laughter. "Come on, Wufei, it's not that bad. You get to dance with my Hilde!" Possessive as he was, he knew his friend well enough to know that Wufei would not touch his girl, and he was ok with that. 

"Whatever." Wufei grunted, leading Noin and Duo out to the ballroom. 

The big and elegantly decorated ballroom was already busy with people. Prince Miliardo was the brightest man in the room with his cascade of platinum blond hair and extreme good look. Princess Relena wore a mid-cut red silk gown and had her hair curled up. Princess Hilde wore a silver dress with sapphire necklace and earrings to match with Duo's white and dark blue coat. Sylvia Noventa wore a aquamarine gown in an attempt to match the colour of the Prince's coat. Catherine Bloom wore a light pink sleeveless dress and a pair of white gloves. Sally Po was wearing a mid-cut sable dress that showed a bit of her creamy shoulder. Dorothy Catalonia wore a bright orange gown with a matching scarf. Heero was wearing the same coat as Wufei and Noin. 

Sally spotted the three and approached them with a smile on her face. "Ready for the big night?" 

The three gave her a "Not really" look. Surprisingly, Wufei, out of the three, spoke. "You look good in that dress." 

The other three blinked at first, not sure if they had heard right, then Sally beamed. "Thank you, Wufei. You are not bad yourself." 

Duo and Noin exchanged a glance with each other and smiled. Before they could say anything to the pair, the grandfather wall clock called out seven times to announce the start of the ball. Sighing, Duo and Sally left their friends and joined the group that clustered at the centre of the room. Every royalty and courtier was introduced formally, then the four bride candidates. Heero sticked with his fellow guards Wufei and Noin while observing the scene. Neither of them wanted to dance, but their natural grace and handsome appearance soon attracted the guest ladies' attentions. 

After Prince Miliardo danced with his two sisters, the ball had officially begun. 


	5. Bridal Conference: Chapter 5

  


Disclaimer:   
All Gundam Wing characters belong to Sotsu Agency Sunrise and Bandai. I do own this little fanfic though. 

* * *

Prince Miliardo danced with every female present in the room, including the four bride candidates. Catherine was delighted to dance with such a good dancer, and Dorothy was enjoying herself. Sally knew she was off the hook, so she did not hide the fact that she really couldn't dance and stepped on the Prince a few times. Miliardo did not mind, he was rather fond of his new friend to let that bother him. Sylvia, on the other hand, was an entirely different matter. She tried her best to impress the Prince and the royal guests, and attempted to flirt with the tall, handsome Miliardo with what she thought to be the most beautiful smiles and gestures. 

Duo was obliged to dance with every woman and have some royalty-to-royalty talks with the aristocratic guests from the Sanc Court. He would much rather stayed with his beloved Hilde, but as things would have it, he couldn't. While he danced with the four candidates, he was also observing each one of them. Frankly, he did not think any of them fitting to be the woman in Zechs' life. He wondered what King Peacecraft could have been thinking when he picked these four from over one hundred applicants, especially that Sylvia Noventa. Everything about her was so fake and pretentious. Having an equally grand background, Dorothy was a lot more modest and polite, not to mention true to her feelings. 

Heero was stiff when he danced, except when his partner was Relena. He felt ok around Hilde because he's known her for a long time. Same went for Wufei. He swung his dance partners around the dance floor in a robot-like fashion, not wanting to do any real moving. It's only when he danced with Sally that he seemed to be a little more human. Noin was, of course, fine with all the dancing. The only problem she had was Sylvia, who took an unliking to her, and purposely stepped on her several times with her high heels. 

Since the Princesses were not required to join the royalty chats, they provided shelter for those who did not want to dance. Heero sticked close to Relena and danced with her whenever someone else approached him to avoid contact with other women. Wufei felt helpless for a brief moment, then he decided to seek refuge in Sally's company. Noin kept her promise to Duo and stayed with Hilde all night. Hilde knew of her real identity and therefore was comfortable being around her. Without their knowing, Heero eyed the pair suspiciously from time to time, wondering about the connection between Duo and Noin, and why was it the over-protective Duo would allow another man to be with Hilde. The braided young man had never let any man, not even him or Wufei, to spend time alone with Hilde. A hypothesis formed in Heero's brain as he looked closely at the tall platinum-black haired guard. He would confirm his suspicion later. 

"So why are you here anyway, Noin?" Hilde asked when they were a good distance away from the main crowd. 

Noin glanced around to make sure no one was within hearing range. "My parents arranged some marriage meeting for me, so I ran away, taking my usual disguise." 

"When are you planning to go back?" 

"As long as I can keep them from finding me." Noin sighed. "I have a feeling that this would be my last freedom before I am bonded by marriage to a stranger." 

"Aw, don't be so pessimistic." Hilde patted Noin on the back. "I am sure you'll find the love of your life like I did." 

"Thanks, Hilde." Noin smiled at her future sister-in-law. 

While the two women talked in a corner of the ballroom, a pair of ice blue eyes was drawn to them involuntarily, particularly on the deep blue-eyed guard. 

"Noin..." Zechs found himself saying the name under his breath and was horrified. 'Stop that, Miliardo! You are just pretending to have a crush on Noin, it's not real. You are not in love with him! You are a normal guy, get a hold of yourself!' He scolded himself. 'I know... and I wouldn't do this if I can help it.' Zechs cast another look at Noin. 'Look at him. He is everything I've always wanted in my mate... Why does Noin have to be a man?' 

The evening ball concluded successfully without any problem, and most people had a good time. After the ball ended, the guests were leaving. The Chancellor of Sanc, who was one of the judges, was the last to leave. Before he left, however, he took the Prince aside. 

"Prince Miliardo, my compliment for the fine evening." The Chancellor said. 

"Thank you." Miliardo said politely in reply. "What did you think?" 

"To be honest, none of them suits you, but Dorothy Catalonia scores highest in my humble opinion." 

"Dorothy?" Miliardo asked unenthusiastically. He did not even have a chance to greet Noin tonight, and he certainly could not go on with his acting before the guests, not when most of them knew him well and would spoil his plan. 

"Who was the person that Princess Hilde was with tonight?" The Chancellor asked. 

Miliardo did not expect such a question, but he answered quietly. "That's Noin. Wufei hired him to help protecting the ladies during the conference." 

"He seemed close to Princess Hilde. I was surprised Baron Duo didn't react to that." 

"I heard that he's an old acquaintance of Duo." 

"Is that so?" The Chancellor thought for a moment, trying to grasp the vague idea in his head. Failing to do so, he decided to think the whole thing over on the way back. "I guess I should get going now." He bowed and turned to leave, then he stopped mid-stride. "What did you say his name was?" 

"Noin. Noin Eclair." 

"Oh." The man nodded. "Well, good night, my dear Prince." Somehow Noin reminded him of someone else. Someone with the same last name. But that someone else only had a daughter, so it must had been a coincidence. 

* * * * * * * * * 

By noon the next day, it was almost official that Sylvia Noventa detested Noin. When other people were not watching, she would glare or growl at Noin, and she hurled insults at her whenever possible. Noin's reaction to this special attention was ignorance. She had enough on her hand to deal with the Prince already. She was not going to jump into another pit. 

* * * * * * * * * 

"You ok?" Noin glanced up surprisingly when she heard the words. It was Heero. 

"Yeah." She quickly answered, hoping he did not notice the paleness and cold sweats. 

"Are you sure?" Heero narrowed his eyes. "You don't look well. I can change Duo's shift with yours so you can rest a bit before going out." Before Noin could object, the brown- haired young man held up a hand. "You are taking the second shift with me tonight and that's final." With that, he turned and walked away, leaving Noin dumbfounded at the spot. 

Contrary to Heero's hope, Noin felt more sickly as time passed. By the time she went out with Heero to guard, her stomach was churning like tempest, and she could hardly keep her vigil up. She heard Heero's voice, but she couldn't make out what he was saying. Without notice, Noin collapsed. 

Heero's super-quick reflex kept Noin from hitting the ground before he realized what was happening. He adjusted the position of his hands with slightly widened eyes as he touched something soft, like a woman's body. Even though he hadn't gotten any statements from Noin, Heero thought he had the answer to his doubts. Noin was a woman, that's why Duo trusted her with Hilde, and that's why Duo and Wufei was so protective over the guard when Miliardo approached her. The Perfect Guard ran into the building with the unconscious Noin in his arms. Heero pounded on Sally's door anxiously. If he remembered right, Sally was a doctor. She would know what to do. 

Before Sally answered the door, Heero's pounding woke the light sleepers. Wufei, Duo, and Miliardo popped their heads out to see what was going on simultaneously. Upon seeing the unconscious guard, they rushed up to Heero, inquiring what happened. Sally opened the door in time to catch four men surrounding Noin. She gasped and kneeled down to examine her. 

After a few seconds of checking, the medical woman looked up. "Noin's been poisoned. Take him into my room and lie him down while I get some medicines." 

All three men extended their hands, but Heero did not let go and carried Noin into the room. Three pairs of eyes stared at the back of Heero with wide eyes, and they quickly followed before Sally closed the door. 

"How is he?" Heero was the first to ask out of the four after Sally was done. 

"I've given him some medication to help stabilize his conditions, but he won't be able to recover until a few days later." Sally tucked Noin in gently. "What I don't get is how he got poisoned without anyone noticing, or anyone else being poisoned as well." 

"He's been pale all day." Miliardo said. "It must had been a slow reacting poison." 

Wufei froze suddenly, then he ran out the room and returned within a few moments with Noin's water bottle in hand. It's a regular water bottle, and every guard was issued one. 

Sally opened the lid and inhaled deeply, trying to distinguish the smell. "It's in the water alright, and it's light, too. That's why he didn't suspect anything. As he took in more of these, he got poisoned slowly." 

"But who would try to do something like this to Noin?" Miliardo frowned. "If it's the Romefeller people, they would have done it to me or one of the candidates instead." 

The room suddenly fell silent, and everyone looked at the Prince. Heero said in his usual monotone voice after some pause. "Because you made Noin appeared to be the most important person to you, Zechs." The other three people nodded solemnly. 

Zechs was shocked as he digested what Heero had just said. "It's... me?" 

"I don't know what you were trying to prove, but it made Noin the target." Heero stated. 

"So you've noticed, Heero." Wufei cast him a meaningful glance. 

Heero nodded. "I've managed to gather enough bits and pieces to shape it out. The only thing I haven't figured out is the relationship between him and Duo." 

"Gee, you're really sharp, Heero." The braided young man shook his head. "I'll tell you the answer after this whole thing is over, ok?" 

"Fine." was the answer. 

"Is it ok for me to stay here tonight?" Miliardo asked quietly. "I feel bad putting him through this because of me." 

He seemed genuinely concerned, but letting him stay would be risky. He might found out the real identity of Noin. Sally considered the options and declined. "You need to get some rest. Remember, if Romefeller did this, then they are sure to act pretty soon. I'll stay with Noin." 

"The lady's got a point." Duo agreed. "What do you know? They might even strike first thing tomorrow morning." 

"Keep yourselves alert and be on your guards for the next few days." Sally said as she ushered the guys out. "Good night. You can come back in the morning, Noin needs some rest." 

Once they were in the hallway, Heero went outside to resume his vigil, leaving the other three talking in the lobby. 

"I am so sorry..." Miliardo lowered his head. 

Duo patted him on the back. "We are not without fault, too. It's our job to keep the Romefeller people from doing things like these." 

"I think it's time to cancel the plan." Wufei said. "If our enemy is deceived thus, then it should be enough for the bride candidates. Further acting is not necessary." 

"You are right. I won't put Noin into such danger again." Miliardo said as if to assure himself. 

"Ok, now let's go back to sleep." Duo put on a more cheerful face. "That Sally girl did warn us against a Romefeller ambush." 

"You don't seem worried, Duo." Wufei frowned slightly. "Even Heero showed more anxiety than you did back there." 

"Noin's much tougher than any poison. He won't be defeated this easily." Duo had a very confident expression on his face. "Besides, I'll avenge him. Whoever did this to Noin is going to pay big time!" Even with the bright smile, Duo's eyes conveyed murder as he said this. 

The three returned to their rooms with occupied minds. It wasn't until the first ray of sunlight broke out that they closed their eyes and fell asleep. They slept with heavy hearts and worries, and what Sally predicted came a lot sooner than they expected. 


	6. Bridal Conference: Chapter 6

  


Disclaimer:   
All Gundam Wing characters belong to Sotsu Agency Sunrise and Bandai. I do own this little fanfic though. 

* * *

Everyone was aware of Noin's absence at the breakfast table the next morning, but no one said anything, and Sylvia was especially happy about it. Things went on as usual though it was obvious that the guys were preoccupied and were not very keen on anything. 

Then it happened when everyone was gathered at the large meeting room of the lodge. Several armed men ambushed unexpectedly, and took over the place within a few minute. Heero, Duo, Wufei, and other guards could not make any move because every attacker had his gun aimed at either the Princesses or the three bride candidates. The other people were herded into a group in the corner of the room. 

The two princesses of Sanc appeared to be calm, but the looks they cast at their brother and their guards were worried and concerned. Catherine stared at the men and was shocked to the state of speechlessness. Sylvia was scared and would had screamed at the top of her voice if there wasn't a gun pointing at her head. Sally, having come from a military family background, was composed enough to comfort the trembling Catherine. Dorothy was not threatened, but she was not pleased at all. 

"What is this all about?" Dorothy stepped out from the group of hostages and demanded angrily. 

"Orders from the Duke to warn the head of the Pacific Enterprise not to interfere with our business again." The leader of the group answered monotonously. 

"This is rude." Dorothy frowned. "You are getting innocent people involved." 

"Too bad. This will teach anyone who wishes to have anything to do with Pacific." 

"You!" Dorothy growled. 

"Just stay away and you'll be alright, Miss Dorothy." The leader said, pointing his gun at Miliardo as he spoke. 

"What do you think you're doing?" Dorothy stepped between the man and the Prince. 

"Miss Dorothy, get away." The man warned. "We have full consent of the Duke to execute anyone who gets in our way, including you." 

Everyone in the room was stunned to hear this, especially Dorothy. 

"Grandfather?" Dorothy said unbelievingly. 

"Yup." The man smiled menacingly. "In case you didn't know, Treize is a better heir than you are, so you are not really relevant to Duke Dermail and the Foundation." 

"No!" The blond girl cried out weakly and almost collapsed. Miliardo, who was standing behind her, held her to keep her on her feet. 

"Hmm, I think we've got everyone." The leader surveyed the people present in the room. 

"No, you don't!" Sylvia called out suddenly. "You haven't got my guard yet." 

"Sylvia!!" Most people in the room yelled out. They were somewhat comforted that Noin did not show up and was therefore spared by the attackers, but now Miss Jealously just let the cat out of the bag. 

"Ah, yes. The handsome young guard." The man grinned. "Well, since he's not here among you, obviously our little trick worked. Don't worry, he'll join you people very soon." 

"So it was you who poisoned Noin." Wufei narrowed his eyes. 

"Why, yes." The man chuckled. "The plan turned out better than we hoped. Many of you were actually affected by it so much that you did not even detect or suspect our coming." 

"That was pretty impressive thinking." Wufei snorted loudly. "I am surprised that there actually are people with brains in Romefeller." His comment immediately earned him a solid punch in the stomach, but he did not seem to mind. 

"Anyway, let's get back to business." The leader aimed his gun at Dorothy. "Last call, Miss. Go away or get shot." 

Miliardo tried to push Dorothy away, but she would not move and spread out her arms in front of the Prince stubbornly. The leader ran out of patience and proceeded to pull the trigger. However, before he could do that, one of his men went down without warning. Someone broke in from the window and knocked him out. That someone, though, was quickly aimed at with a gun by one of the attack team members. 

"Well, what an unexpected but pleasant surprise!" The leader exclaimed mockingly. He walked toward the intruder and changed his target to the dark-haired individual with a menacing grin on his face. "Welcome to the party, my dear guard. It appears the poison wasn't enough to keep you away." He then turned to Wufei knowingly. "Nice try back there, covering him to sneak on us like this." 

Wufei didn't say anything and just glared at him. 

The leader turned his attention back to the new comer. "My, you don't look too well. You really should have stayed in bed, quietly waiting for your turn." 

Noin smiled weakly, cold beads of water ran down her pale face. "How can I miss such a gathering?" 

The leader eyed her carefully, then he smiled. "To award your effort of making the party, I shall let you be the guest of honour, and put you out of your misery first." He aimed at her. 

Time seemed to freeze at that moment, and the room was completely silent. A voice broke the silence suddenly. "Sept, neuf!" This was immediately followed by two simultaneous "Dix!" 

"What the...?" The leader and his men looked around the room, alarmed. 

"Commencer." This was uttered by Noin. 

"What are you people trying to play here?" The man in charge of the ambush inquired. "You better not be pulling any tricks. If you do, this fellow here will be the first to get it!" 

As soon as he finished the sentence, Noin bumped hard into him with a thud, causing him to lose balance as well as his gun. The other team members quickly re-adjusted their aims to Noin, but before they could shoot, Duo shot them with special needles that he took out from his hair. Those that were further away, too, were put down by Heero and Wufei within a second. 

From the time when Noin 'commenced' the operation to when the last man went down, a total of ten seconds passed by. The 'sept', 'neuf', and 'dix' were cues of when they would act. At the 7th second (sept) after the start of their stike (commencer), Noin bumped into the man. At the 9th (neuf) second, Duo hit the men targeting Noin. At the 10th (dix) second, Wufei and Heero took down the rest of the men. 

When the threat was removed, most of the people in the room still had not reacted. 

"Is it over?" Hilde blinked, eyeing the several bodies lying unconscious on the floor. 

"Yup." Duo playfully messing with Hilde's hair. 

"You guys can do the clean up. I think I need some...." Noin dropped to the ground before she was able to finish the sentence. Duo caught her in time to prevent her from hitting the floor. 

"It must be the medication." Sally observed. "I am surprised he was able to stay awake for this long." 

The front door and several windows were broken into by a squad of police at that moment, and they were stupified at the scence before them. Apparently, someone passing by the lodge saw Noin trying to sneak in the lodge and called the police with a cell phone. The Citizens' Guards, as the police are called in this region, came quickly enough after receiving the call, but they were only in time to clean up the chaos. 

The sudden flashes from outside the windows told the people inside the arrival of news reporters. Pargen and the security team quickly dispatched the spectators, but not before a few photos were taken. 

After all the commotions had died down and everyone taken cared of, the Prince and the top three guards, Heero, Duo, and Wufei, gathered in Miliardo's room. Duo dutifully explained the "French trick", as he called it, to the puzzled blond. 

"That's a pretty neat stunt." Miliardo nodded. "How is it that all four of you know about it?" 

"Well, it's like this." Duo said. "Me and Noin invented this game while undertaking the effort-requiring job of learning French when we were little. Then I taught Heero and Wufei how to play it when we were in high school. I didn't teach you this because we don't really play together, Zechs." 

"I see." Zechs acknowledged. "It was a very close call. One little mistake and Noin would have been in serious trouble, since he wouldn't had been able to do much under heavy medication." He still couldn't help but shudder when he recalled the event earlier in the day. 

"I told you Noin's a lot tougher than that!" Duo grinned proudly. 

"Are you going to cancel the rest of the conference, Zechs?" Wufei asked. 

"Yes." Zechs nodded. "Since only one of the candidates is actually interested in this, and she is definitely disqualified after what she did." 

"Will King Peacecraft select another lady for you?" Heero asked. 

"Most likely." Zechs sighed. "He might try to get me to meet the girl who couldn't make it to the conference. I wish I have a choice." 

"You really don't have a girl that you like?" Duo pondered. "We can persuade your dad if you do." 

"Unfortunately, no." Zechs answered, with image of Noin in his mind when he said so. 

"Well, then, let's hope the fifth girl will turn out to be your type." Duo joked, trying to ease the misery of the Prince. 

* * * * * * * * * 

"Lucius, look! Isn't that Lucrezia?" A gracious lady gasped when she saw the news. 

"It is her." King Eclair examined the news shot closely. "She looks terrible..." 

The night of the incident, two people arrived at the front door of the lodge where the conference was held. The bride candidates were all sent home in the afternoon to calm them down from the day's events. Miliardo Peacecraft and Pargen were summoned by the King and were absent at the moment, and only the Princesses and the guards were still at the lodge. 

"Hold it right there." Wufei stopped the pair of noble-looking people. "Who are you?" 

Before the majestic figure answered, a sound crying out "Uncle, aunt!" was heard from behind. Wufei turned to see a shocked Duo. 

"Duo." The pair greeted the braided young man with a smile. "Where is she?" 

"Are you here to take her home?" Duo sighed. "Noin is doing so well out here, do you really have to do this?" 

"Yes, Duo." King Eclair said. "Noin is, after all, the heir to Luce. I can't let her encounter any more such dangers. I hope you understand." 

"Yeah, I know what you mean." Duo said resignedly. He signalled to the Chinese to lead them to Noin's room. He would miss her, so would many other people. 

When Zechs returned the next morning, he was greeted with the news of Noin's departure with his parents the night before. The handsome young Prince was visibly disturbed, but there was nothing he could do. He did allow peril to come to Noin due to his own actions. At least he did not have to go through the bride conference anymore. But why was he feeling so empty? 


	7. Bridal Conference: Epilogue

  


Disclaimer:   
All Gundam Wing characters belong to Sotsu Agency Sunrise and Bandai. I do own this little fanfic though. 

Author's Note:   
This ends 'The Bridal Conference'. I really enjoyed writing this story (this is my first complete story!), and I hope you enjoyed reading it. Thanks for bearing with me and please tell me what you think! ^__^   
God bless everone~:) 

~Handsome Puppy~ 

* * *

One week passed by without anything exciting happening. Zechs Merquise was sitting in front of his large oak desk in his office inside the Pacific Enterprise Building when a cheerful braided individual walked in. 

"What brings you here, Duo?" Zechs smiled quietly. He had been busying himself since the bridal conference to keep him from remember a particular person, and he hadn't really smiled for almost one week now. 

"I brought you the file on the fifth bride candidate from King Peacecraft." Duo handed him a folder. "And Hilde is giving me a day off so I can go visit my cousin in Luce." 

"Hilde's giving you a day off?" Zechs arched one eyebrow. "She's not going with you?" 

"No." Duo replied with a pout. "She said maybe you'd come with me to Luce." 

"Why's that?" 

"Perhaps you'd like to meet your future bride?" Duo smiled slyly, pointing toward the folder with his chin. 

Zechs picked up the folder and opened it with a sigh. However, his expression changed from an annoyed one to a shocked one then to an amused one within a few seconds. "And Hilde's right. I do want to go with you." Anticipation flashed in his eyes. 

* * * * * * * * * 

"Lucrezia dear, Duo's here to see you." Queen Eclair called out softly. The front door opened to reveal a grinning Duo. 

"Ah, Aunt Rosalina, you look beautiful!" Duo gave her a hug. 

"I'm immune to your flattery, Duo." The graceful lady winked. "Lucy is in her room." 

Duo entered the room to find a bored Noin sitting on the window sill, staring out. "Aw, sis, aren't you happy to see me?" 

Noin had been in bed for the past week because of the poison and was extremely annoyed that she couldn't leave the palace. She was very bored, and very lonely. The image of a certain handsome man with beautiful blond hair kept calling her in her dreams. She was glad at the distraction and beamed at the sight of her cousin. The two chatted a good three hours before Duo took his leave to 'attend to some other important business'. 

Not long after Duo's departure, the Queen knocked on Noin's door again. "Dear, the Prince is here." 

King Eclair told Noin that they would resume their former proposal of entering her as a bride candidate for a Prince of a certain kingdom, and they were expecting the Prince any time after the submission, which was one of the reasons why she couldn't leave the palace. Noin was unenthusiastic throughout the process and had no interest in finding out which kingdom her potential husband came from. She was content enough that the Prince had not show up until now, though she'd like to have more free time still. 

Still looking out the window at the fascinating scenery outside, Noin put up a weakly voiced reply. "I am not feeling very well at the moment, could you please apologize to the Prince and ask him to come back tomorrow?" She hoped her mother got the message. 

"But I've waited so long to see you, I don't think I can hold it off for another day." A deep voice quietly answered her. 

The startled Noin immediately recognized the voice as Miliardo's and jerked her head toward the entrance of the room. There he stood in full grace and radiance, smiling lovingly at her. 

"Zechs?" she could hardly believe her eyes. "How did you..." 

Zechs walked up to her and took her hand to kiss it. "It appears that we are destined to be together, my dear imperial guard." 

"Huh? Wait, you don't mean..." Noin said with wide eyes. 

"Yes. You were the missing fifth candidate for my bride conference, and I am the one arranged by your parents to meet you." Zechs cupped her blushing face and whispered softly in her ears. "I am sorry, Lucrezia. I shouldn't had allow any danger to come to you. Will you forgive me?" 

"You silly." Noin smiled and placed her hands on top of his. "I never blamed you." 

Prince Miliardo smirked and withdrew his hands to put them over his heart. Under Noin's quizzical eyes, he kneeled down before her. "Lucrezia Noin Eclair, will you allow me, Miliardo Peacecraft, the honour and pleasure to stay by your side and love you from this moment on until the end of time?" 

Noin covered her mouth with her hands to hide the gasp. Tears of joy formed in her eyes as she took his hands and place them over her own heart. "Yes, I will. And I promise you that so long as this heart keeps beating, I will never stop loving you." 

"Thank you." Miliardo whispered looking at Noin's bright deep blue eyes. He drew her nearer and sealed her lips with his for the first time in the many days to come. "I love you." 


End file.
